Over 160 Mayors to Secretary of Commerce Ross: Don’t Undercut Cities – Work with Us to Ensure U.S. Cities Are Treated Fairly in the 2020 Census

Sara Durr

1 year ago

Bipartisan Mayors Nationwide Call for Washington to Put Cities First in the Next Census and Reject Untested Questions that Threaten to Undermine Census Preparations

WASHINGTON, DC— In coordination with the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM), USCM Census Task Force Chair Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh and the offices of Mayor Eric Garcetti (LA), Mayor Bill de Blasio (NYC) Mayor Sylvester Turner (Houston), and Mayor John Giles (Mesa), 161 Republican and Democratic mayors today issued a stern letter urging Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross to consider three specific areas of concern to meet the shared goal of a full, fair and accurate 2020 Census as planning swings into action: adequate funding; qualified Census Bureau leadership; and a full rejection of untested questions that threaten to undermine census preparations and accuracy.

Mayors of both parties have long contested that previous censuses have undercounted cities – leaving federal investments well below where they should be, given that cities are 90 percent of the country’s GDP, and hold 85 percent of the population and 86 percent of the nation’s jobs.

A successful decennial census is essential to the governing of municipalities across the nation. “Census results determine the number of seats each state has in the House of Representatives, are used to draw political districts at federal, state and local levels, and affect the distribution of billions of dollars of federal funding annually to local communities for infrastructure and vital services like hospitals and schools. An inaccurate census leads to underrepresentation and fewer dollars for many of our most vulnerable communities,” the bipartisan letter from USCM reads.

“The 2020 Census presents a great opportunity for cities to be counted fairly and accurately. Census data is critical to the allocation of government funding for education, housing, transportation, and other programs in cities and communities nationwide. We encourage the Administration to take this process seriously to ensure fairness for everyone,” said New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, USCM President.

“As we prepare for the 2020 Census, we need to ensure that all the residents of our communities are accurately counted. This process is vital to securing sufficient Federal dollars to fund our schools, our roads, our broader infrastructure needs and quality housing. We cannot afford to shortchange our future and it all begins with making sure each and every person is counted,” said Baltimore Mayor Catherine E. Pugh, Chair of USCM’s Census Task Force.

“Everybody counts,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Chair USCM’s Latino Alliance. “An unnecessary and mean-spirited census question about citizenship would undermine the fair and accurate count that the Constitution demands, and deny too many cities the resources and representation they deserve.”

“President Trump’s attempt to politicize the census is unprecedented. A fair and accurate census is constitutionally mandated and absolutely critical to ensuring people get the resources they need, which is why I’m teaming up with bipartisan mayors across the country to insist that Secretary Ross recognize the importance of the task at hand and protect the count from partisanship and ideology,” said New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Chair of USCM’s Cities of Opportunity Task Force.

“An accurate 2020 Census count is the right thing to do and is essential to my community’s financial health. Arizona cities receive much-needed public safety funding based upon our census population. This is not the time for partisan gamesmanship. My message to Washington is clear: follow the Constitution and count everyone,” said Mesa Mayor John Giles, USCM Trustee.

“Everyone counts, and everyone should be counted by the census. Without a full count, our governments on every level will lose an opportunity to have a true and accurate picture of our City and our City’s needs,” said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Chair of USCM’s Metro Economies Standing Committee.